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Table of Contents
Match Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Matchup | VMI Keydets at Missouri Tigers |
| Date/Time | Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 – 4:30 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Mizzou Arena, Columbia, MO |
| TV/Stream | Check listings; odds board: college basketball odds |
| Records | VMI 2-0; Missouri 2-0 |
| Market snapshot* | Missouri -24.5, VMI +24.5; Total 160.5; ML: MIZ -9666 / VMI +2500 |
| Team pages | NCAAB teams index • Picks hub: NCAAB picks |
*Lines are reference points; monitor live movement on the college basketball odds screen.
Line and Odds Movement
Early trading installed Missouri north of -20 with a total in the low 160s. Expect modest tick-to-tick moves tied to any late confirmation on VMI’s backcourt availability and Mizzou rotations. Re-check the composite board and alt totals on the college basketball odds page, and align with angles from the site’s basketball betting guide.
Matchup Breakdown
Missouri’s ceiling is obvious when the ball moves and they get downhill. Even in the close shave vs. SEMO, the Tigers posted 89 with Mark Mitchell driving pace and Shawn Phillips Jr. controlling the glass. The leak was at the point of attack: 19 turnovers and 12 missed free throws kept an overmatched opponent in it. Cleaning closeout angles and valuing the ball early should flip this into a wire-to-wire script.
VMI arrives 2-0 despite being shorthanded, leaning into a fast pace, heavy three-point volume, and a funky zone that muddies reads. TJ Johnson’s interior productivity (32 and 14 at Southern Indiana) gives the Keydets a pressure valve, while the zone can coax Mizzou into settling if the Tigers don’t touch the paint first. If the Keydets keep turnovers down and keep the three falling, they can ride variance to stay inside a big number.
For depth charts, recent results, and form lines, use the NCAAB teams hub. For matchup-specific selections and props, see the daily slate on NCAAB picks.
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Injury Reports
Missouri Tigers
| Player | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Trent Pierce (F) | Questionable | Yet to appear this season; rotation piece when active |
VMI Keydets
| Player | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rickey Bradley Jr. (G) | Out | Star guard sidelined to open season |
Missouri Recent Performance
Down nine to SEMO after halftime, Missouri tightened point-of-attack defense and finished on a 51-point second half to win 89-84. Mitchell’s 29 set the tone; Phillips Jr. supplied interior rebounding and rim pressure. The priorities here: cut live-ball turnovers versus the zone, trigger early paint touches to collapse coverage, and get to the line with purpose after wasting freebies Friday.
VMI Recent Performance
The Keydets ground out a 78-74 road win at Southern Indiana without Bradley Jr., riding Johnson’s two-way dominance and Tan Yildizoglu’s secondary creation. Offensively they’ve opened the year bombing from deep and pushing tempo; defensively the zone disguises help and can bait rushed passes. The cost is the glass; second-chance points are the obvious risk against a bigger SEC front line.
Betting Insights and Trends
Missouri is 2-0 straight up with both games clearing the mid-80s in scoring, but turnover rate and FT% volatility have swung their margins. VMI’s early-season identity is pace plus threes; that profile pairs with big underdog covers when the zone creates just enough variance. Shop spreads and totals in real time on the college basketball odds board.
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Best Bets and Prediction
Primary play: VMI +24.5. Missouri’s talent edge is clear, but the Keydets’ tempo, three-point volume, and zone variance make four-plus possessions of cushion attractive, especially if Mizzou’s turnover and FT issues linger.
Total lean: under 160.5. A zone-heavy game that forces longer possessions and more mid-clock resets can shave a handful of trips, and Missouri’s best counter is to grind with paint touches rather than trade early-clock threes.
Projected score: Missouri 90, VMI 71.
Price shop and confirm edges via NCAAB picks and the live odds screen.
Handicapper Section
Correlation build: Missouri moneyline anchored with an alt total under 165.5, or a split stake VMI +24.5 and Missouri team total under if you expect zone drag and rebounding control to cap possessions. Cross-reference pace, shot mix, and closing numbers using NCAAB picks, verify team-level form on the NCAAB teams index, and consult the site’s basketball betting guide before kickoff.
